


Growing Up And Getting Older

by colazitron



Series: 2018 December Holiday Fic Countdown [7]
Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 11:04:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16911741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colazitron/pseuds/colazitron
Summary: Jonas comes over looking for Isak, but since he's not home yet, he and Even make do.





	Growing Up And Getting Older

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** I am in no way affiliated with the characters depicted herein or their creators. I made this all up. I'm sharing it for fun.
> 
>  **A/N:** for anon, who wanted Jonas running his fingers through Even's hair

The buzzing of the intercom catches Even by surprise. It's already five in the afternoon and almost everyone who has a reason to ring their bell unannounced usually does so in the morning. He sets the groceries down on the floor and picks up the receiver. Maybe Isak forgot his keys? Though Even wasn't expecting him home for another hour. He's got that late class today.

“Hello?”

“It's Jonas. Can I come up?” Jonas' voice sounds slightly tinny over the connection and surprises Even even more. Did he forget that Jonas was coming over today?

“Sure, hang on,” he says and then presses the button, listening to the front door downstairs click open and fall shut before he hangs up again. He unlocks the door to their flat again and then picks the bag of groceries back up, moving into the kitchen to put everything away.

He's just about done when there's a gentle knock and the door swings open.

“Hey, it's me,” Jonas says.

Even leans over so he can wave hello through the open kitchen door.

“Hi. Did I forget you were coming over today?”

Jonas grins, but shakes his head.

“Nah, it was a spur of the moment thing.”

“Ah. Okay,” Even says, and takes a moment to watch Jonas undo his shoe laces and slip out of his jacket. “Isak's not home yet. He has that late lab class today.”

“Right,” Jonas says and halts, hovering awkwardly two steps inside the flat. “Is it okay if I hang out here? I'm not bothering you, am I?”

“What? No, of course not. Come in! Hang out,” Even laughs. “I'm having a lazy day.”

“No classes today?” Jonas asks and leans against the door frame to the kitchen while Even puts away the last few groceries.

“No, I had two in the morning, but my early afternoon class got cancelled, so I came home, did some laundry, groceries...” Even says, and then pulls two mugs from their cabinet. “Tea?”

“Yes, please,” Jonas says, and then, “Didn't you say you were having a lazy day?”

Even laughs.

“Well, all of that needed doing today anyway, but instead of doing it after I got home round about now, I got to do it lazily over the course of a few hours,” he says and fills the electric kettle with water. “What tea would you like?”

Jonas comes over to inspect their drawer of tea things and picks the spiced apple tea, while Even grabs a plain green tea bag for himself.

“How about you?” he asks. “No classes?”

Jonas sighs a deep, long sigh, and Even sends him a sideways glance to see his expression falling a little.

“No, I had class. I got out like two hours ago and I've just been wandering, but I got… bored and irritated and I ended up in your neighbourhood, so I thought I'd see if you or Isak were in,” he says.

The kettle clicks as it shuts itself off and Even nods and pours their water, dumping the excess water down the drain after.

“Wanna talk about it?” Even offers, holding out the steaming mug of apple tea to Jonas.

Jonas nibbles on his lip a little and then sighs again.

“I mean, I know I'm not Isak, but I can listen too,” Even says. “Or I can just kick your ass on FIFA for a bit if you want a distraction.”

“Why are you and Isak so cocky about that game when you're absolutely shit at it?” Jonas asks with a small grin and a shake of his head.

Even laughs.

“Because it's so much more fun that way.”

Jonas snorts and then sighs another deep breath.

“I think Eva's going to break up with me,” he says.

Even feels himself freeze in his movements and then turns to grab a half-eaten box of biscuits from the cabinet as well.

“Okay. This calls for more drastic measures,” he announces and then motions towards their bedroom with his chin. “Come on.”

He sets the still hot tea down next to the bed and then climbs up on it with the box of biscuits despite how much Isak hates having crumbs in the bed. There are exceptions to every rule.

“Alright, then. Tell me,” Even says when Jonas has joined him on the bed.

“It hasn't been going well for a while now,” Jonas starts. Even makes an acknowledging humming sound, because, yeah, that's been kind of obvious to anyone who's been around them over the last few months.

Eva's been working ever since they got out of school, while Jonas went to uni for political science. It's not that they don't respect each other's choices so much as their lives are just very different. Eva has a far more fixed schedule, but also far more reliable time off. From what Even's gathered, she's also got a case of the travel bug. She's loved going on trips as long as Even's known her – be they small weekends at her mother's cabin, or summer vacations abroad. And with Noora moving to Paris at the start of the summer to study there for a year, Eva's been feeling the pull to explore.

“You love each other though,” Even says, because there's no reason they can't try long distance, theoretically. He can't imagine not even trying that if Isak decided to go abroad.

Jonas smiles a sad smile.

“I don't think that's enough anymore,” he says and takes a careful sip of his tea. “And the worst part is that I get it.”

Even just makes a vague, encouraging humming sound and lets Jonas go on.

“She's not happy in Oslo anymore, I don't think. There's a whole world out there and she wants to see some of it. I can't blame her for that,” he says. “In fact I think it's pretty awesome. She's a badass. I'm sure she'd be fine anywhere she goes. Eva can make friends anywhere.”

“She is a firecracker,” Even agrees.

“Yeah, she is,” Jonas says, smiling to himself. “She wants to leave in January, but she hasn't told anyone yet. We've been talking about trying long distance, but...”

Even tries not to let his surprise at the news show too much on his face, because clearly that's not the actual point right now. But… wow. He's going to miss Eva.

“I don't think we would make it. We'd just drag each other down. We're not good at the kind of stuff that a long distance relationship needs, you know? We've always been great at chilling together and just being, but we're not good at regular texting and keeping to a schedule and actually checking in with each other,” Jonas goes on.

Even can feel the sympathy grow in his belly. It seems less like Jonas came here for advice, and more to mourn his relationship.

“And we're not very good at fighting either. I don't know how you and Isak do it. Whenever you fight it's like you're fighting the same thing from two different angles, so you'll eventually find a way that works for you both. When Eva and I fight it's like we're fighting each other.”

Jonas heaves another deep sigh and grabs a biscuit from the box. The crunchy sound is a little incongruous with the mood.

Even shrugs helplessly.

“I don't really know either. I mean… that's exactly what we're trying to do, but I couldn't tell you why it works for us.”

“You're just that absurd couple who's going to stay together forever,” Jonas says gloomily, and grabs another biscuit.

Even doesn't really know what to say to that. It's certainly a joke that gets made often enough and if Even has anything to do with it, they absolutely _are_ going to be that couple. But that's not what Jonas needs to hear right now, so he just opens his arms to him instead.

“Hug?” he offers.

Jonas looks up at him with resigned, wounded eyes and nods.

“Please,” he says.

It's a little awkward, the way they both have to lean forward to reach around each other, but Even gets on his knees and scoots a little closer, pulling Jonas into a proper hug.

Jonas isn't shy about returning it either, settling into it after only a brief moment of hesitation. He lets his body sag against Even's and puts his hands on his back in return, holding on and taking comfort from being held. Isak might know the right words to say to Jonas, he's known him longer and better after all, but this is something Even can do. If Jonas needs comfort, Even is aces at that.

He settles in for the long-haul and after another moment or two, one of Jonas' hands moves up to Even's hair, carding through it gently and steadily.

Even takes a moment to take stock of the situation and see if it's just a momentary thing, but Jonas keeps doing it. It's not that Even minds, but he feels this warrants addressing, probably.

“Are you petting me?” he asks quietly, but makes sure not to pull away in any way.

Jonas' hand stills.

“Sorry. Yeah,” he says. “I… do that. It's… nice?”

“Okay,” Even says. “Go on.”

Jonas huffs a quiet laugh, but does.

By the time Isak comes home a little over an hour later, they're lounging on the bed with Even's head on Jonas' lap, half watching and half shit-talking an episode of Riverdale, Jonas' hand still combing slowly through Even's hair. Even's used Jonas' distraction with the show to text Isak to bring home some takeaway pizza because Jonas needs cheering up, so he's accompanied by the delicious smell of ham and melted cheese when he comes in. His cheeks are red from the cold, and he sniffs a little, and Even grins at him widely when their eyes meet.

“Hi, guys,” Isak says and sets the pizza boxes down on their table before returning to the hall to peel off his outer layers. It's only when he comes back that he takes a good look at them and affects a loud and fake gasp.

“I can't believe you're cheating on me,” he accuses. “And with my boyfriend! I thought you and my hair had something special!”

Even grins, and Jonas laughs, and Isak grabs the pizza and comes to join them on the bed.

“Okay, scoot over,” he says, and Even sits up automatically, making room for Isak in between him and Jonas.

“Pizza first, cuddles after,” Isak decides and hands out pizza boxes. “What are we watching?”

“Riverdale,” Jonas says, still grinning.

Isak makes a supportive grunt.

“Absolute trash fire. Great choice.”

Even looks over to see Jonas laugh again and catches Isak wink at him when their eyes meet. He winks back. He'll fill Isak in later, or maybe Jonas will. For now, it's enough that Jonas is laughing again, crumbs in their bed or no.

 

**The End**


End file.
